Short Summary

 The campaign is officailly closed. If you would still like to help Gloria out, you can send a check to The Gloria Mengel Fund  c/o Tammy Mengel, 15413 E 33rd Street S, Independence, MO 64055. We appreciate any and all help!!!  The builder is hoping to start on the room by July 9th!!!!!!

If we can reach $5,000, our builder is getting donations and can get started with a couple of weeks. It would be very helpful for her to have the exercise area set up to help her strengthen her lungs!!! Please pass this along and help out if you can!!!

Gloria is only 14 and has been through more in the last 4 years than most people in their entire lifetime. Gloria was diagnosed with a Germ Cell Brain Tumor in Sept 2008. She underwent 6 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 rounds of radiation to her head and spine. She was declared cancer free in June 2009! By Nov 2009, she was experiencing severe leg pain and could not even walk. After lengthy testing, it was determined that she had AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). This was caused by one of the chemotherapy drugs used for her brain tumor treatment. Glo had more chemo to get into remission and prepare for her Bone Marrow Transplant in March 2010. For the transplant, she was given even stronger chemo and total body irradiation to completely wipe out her current bone marrow. The transplant was successful and Glo is doing pretty well in that area except for a new diagnosis relating to her lungs that we will follow up with drs in June for treatment options. Glo began loosing her vision in Oct 2010 and was given high dose steroids to help save her vision. The steroids caused her to gain over 80lbs. In Jan 2011, an MRI revealed what might be a recurrance of the brain tumor. Gloria's vision continued to deteriorate and she could only see shadows by Feb. She had surgery for a diaphragmatic hernia at the end of Feb and flew to Chicago for a brain biopsy a few days later. Surgery revealed no new tumor but dense, fibrous scar tissue and after the surgery, Gloria was competely blind. Gloria suffered a stroke in Aug 2011 after 2 emergency surgeries for the recurrent hernia. The stroke affected her right side motor functions as well as speech. Glo has been in rehab since her hospital discharge in Nov and is regaining some motor abilities.

We would really like to add a bedroom onto our exsisting home to allow Glo some extra space for a walk in closet, an excerise/workout area (with a punching bag) and room for her braille technology equipment. She wants to become an independent teen even with all that has happened to her in the last few years. She is determined to make it back to school in the fall.

What We Need & What You Get

We are working with PMT Properties and the Fuller Center for Housing to try to get the room addtion going. Tony from PMT is actively seeking business donations for materieals and the Fuller Center is also but they will be able to provide some volunteer labor to make this happen for Glo! There will be fees for permits and certain other items that might not be donated that we are seeking monitery donations to help cover these expenses. Glo is a very strong girl who has been through so much and maintains a positive attitude and work ethic as she recovers. She really appreciates any and all help you may be able to give her!

The projected cost for the addtion is $15,000. The primary goal is $1,500 as we hope to get donations of materials for the room. If more funds are raised than are needed for the room, they will go into Gloria's fund for medical/living expenses during her recovery.

The Impact

Gloria would be able to have the independence every teen needs. She has a color identifier that tells what color things are so she can organize her clothes herself. She would have an exercise area to keep increasing her strength and endurance. She would have a dance area where she can prepare to go back to the dance classes she loves so much. But most of all, she can be a regular kid with everything she needs to be success not only at school but at life!

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't donate at this time, please share this campaign with anyone who may be able to help and of course prayers for Glo's recovery are always appreciated!!

If you would like to organize a fundraiser in your area to help Gloria out, that would be very much appreciated as well.